SELA, the national company behind some of the most ambitious lifestyle development projects across  the whole of Saudi Arabia, is delighted to announce that JYC Marina this week welcomes the first  yachts to berth there on the occasion of the inaugural Saudi Arabia F1 Grand Prix.  

This new international motorsport spectacular takes place this weekend from 3rd – 5th December, at  the new circuit on Jeddah’s North Corniche – the fastest F1 street circuit in the world. Guests aboard  megayachts like M/Y O Pari, 95m, built by Golden Yachts, the 85m Oceanco Sunrays and the 82m Abeking & Rasmussen RoMEA, have been joined by a fleet of over 40 superyachts and smaller units to  take part in the fun, for what is going to be an adrenalin-packed weekend, just a stone’s throw away  from the JYC Marina. 

JYC Marina is the first marina along the Red Sea coast that can accommodate superyachts and  megayachts up to 120m in a world-class environment. In parallel, this opening event will give visiting  yachts and VIP visitors to the F1 a unique opportunity to preview the premises of the upcoming Jeddah  Yacht Club, which will be officially opened around the time when the Saudi F1 GP returns for the 2022  season on 25-27 March 2022. 

A project built in record time – an incredible six months from first breaking ground, on an inland site, to  welcoming some of the biggest yachts in the world this week – the entire complex is situated in the  northern part of Jeddah, only a few kilometers away from the new King Abdulaziz airport and the city  center. It comprises JYC Marina, the Jeddah Yacht Club and a collection of retail and F&B outlets on the  marina Boardwalk around the basin. 

WORLD CLASS MARINA 

Capable of berthing over 100 yachts of all sizes up to 120m, JYC Marina epitomizes the future of  superyachting on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline. It is the first step into major yachting developments  that are to take place in the Kingdom over the next 10 years, stretching from Neom in the North to  Amaala and the Red Sea Project further south down to Jeddah and beyond. 

Developed by SELA, JYC Marina provides berthing in a safe and secure environment with gated entry  and easy access for guests, service providers and ship chandlers. It offers all the necessary supplies of  electricity, water and fuel bunkering facilities, in a spectacular modern and functional environment. It  has an on-site helipad to make it convenient for guests to arrive and embark or disembark discretely.  

One of the key benefits of JYC Marina is that it is recognized by the Saudi authorities as a port of entry  into the Kingdom. As such, it provides customs clearance and immigration services to all vessels,  including foreign-flagged superyachts that will charter in the area, or stop off to visit this fast-developing  destination on their way to the newly opened cruising grounds of the East Indian Ocean and Southeast  Asia. In addition, once fully operational by the end of March 2022, JYC Marina will provide repair and  maintenance facilities within the Marina precinct. 

With its highly strategic location, JYC Marina is ready to welcome permanent and seasonal yachts coming  from the Mediterranean, the GCC, the Indian Ocean, Asia and beyond. As it is already possible to book  short or long-term berthing at Port JYC Marina, interested yachts can enquire directly with the Marina  manager by emailing berthing@jeddahyc.com. 

WORLD CLASS YACHT CLUB 

An exclusive members-only establishment, the Jeddah Yacht Club was founded to grow the maritime  spirit and lifestyle in Saudi Arabia by providing diverse, world-class experiences across a full spectrum of  social, sports and leisure activities. Strategically positioned at the crossroads of historical Red Sea  maritime routes, JYC aims to provide a major new platform in the Kingdom for the development of  sailing, boating and every facet of the healthy, fun-filled, on-water and sporting lifestyle for its members.  It also intends to raise awareness of the need to protect marine biodiversity and ensure the preservation  of the Red Sea environment for the younger generations and the local community to enjoy and take care  of in their turn. 

The perfect complement to JYC Marina, the development of the Jeddah Yacht Club was initiated only six  months ago, at the end of April 2021 – designed and built from scratch in record time. As SELA will be completing the final touches to the Club House for its official opening less than a year after the project  was launched, the Jeddah Yacht Club team have decided to take advantage of the first F1 weekend to  play host to private, invitation-only entertainment and hospitality for future members and Marina  guests to discover the premises and facilities soon to be available.  

The Jeddah Yacht Club’s architecture has been carefully designed to stimulate the senses and offer its  members a rich, marine-inspired atmosphere where they can enjoy the numerous social and nautical  activities available. Its mast-and-sail-themed 5,000sqm club house, located by the entrance channel of  the Marina, is a beacon, a lighthouse that welcomes visitors to Jeddah’s shores. 

In addition to panoramic views of the city, the Jeddah Yacht Club boasts a feast of facilities for its  members, which include restaurants, a wellness center, a business center, lounges, concierge services,  sailing and nautical activities. Its Beach Club, operated by a team from world-renowned Omnia Club,  features an infinity pool with glorious views over the Red Sea.

Another first in Jeddah, the Jeddah Yacht Club will welcome the Jason Atherton restaurant. Famous to  gastronomes from London to Shanghai, Mykonos to St. Moritz, this Michelin Star-rated chef is instantly  recognized for his cool artistic creations that evoke memories from other times and other places. 

QUOTES: 

Mohideen Nazer, Director Parks & Resorts, SELA: “We’re delighted that the world of yachting now has  its first home address on Saudi Arabia’s Red coast. All the teams have worked very hard to give birth to  this great Marina and magnificent Club House in record time. This is a small step in our contribution to  the realization of Vision 2030 for the Kingdom, but it is nonetheless a major first step to turn the Red  Sea Coast into a compelling destination for yachting aficionados to enjoy our amazing cruising grounds”. 

Oliver Rees, General Manager Jeddah Yacht Club & Marina (from January 2022): “JYC Marina and the  Jeddah Yacht Club will be a perfect home port for private yachts, but also a great place to meet, enjoy  sailing and water sports and revel in the quality of services we have on offer. It will also be a gateway to  the wonders of the Red Sea, and we are confident that this fantastic new facility will rapidly become a  prime waypoint on the global yachting map.” 

Singapore, the ‘Little Red Dot’, has a well-earned reputation for being a buzzing metropolis, an established international business hub, and hugely popular with travellers. World-renowned for its good governance and diverse mix of cultures, Singapore has historically been a strategic trading post and a maritime gateway to key Asian markets. Today, the tide is now turning towards this tiny island city-state that shows big promise as a primary service centre right in the middle of the South East Asian (SEA) cruising destinations that makeup such a significant part of the global yachting map.

For decades now, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean have been the traditional summer and winter sailing grounds respectively for yacht owners and operators, the two regions providing perfect synergy in terms of opposing peak travel seasons. When the weather in Europe turns colder, the yachting season will begin to take off in the warmer climes of the Caribbean, where destinations such as Antigua and Saint Lucia offer spectacular white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters for relaxed sailing.

In recent years, however, experienced and novice sailors alike are discovering the extensive SEA coastlines further afield and exploring their endless waters. This region is unlike any other with vastly different destinations for short sailing trips or longer cruises; from the unspoilt and secluded islands of Myanmar’s Mergui archipelago in the north all the way east to Lombok, Flores and Raja Ampat in Indonesia.

Strategically located at the heart of Asia, Singapore serves as an advantageous entry point to cruising SEA. For an island that is just over 720 square kilometres, the city-state is rising in prominence and its world-class marinas, excellent fuel bunkering services, and its reputation as a top-notch tourist destination all contribute to its appeal. In an effort to provide greater convenience to sailing visitors, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority also set up new processing facilities earlier this year at both ONE15 Marina Sentosa Cove and Raffles Marina, underpinning Singapore’s status as an efficient business and leisure epicentre.

While Singapore may not be a cruising destination in itself, it serves as an excellent refuelling, provisioning and service hub for visiting yachts for a multitude of reasons. For instance, visa-free travel for a period of 30 days is available to citizens of most countries and many diplomatic missions are represented to process documentation for onward cruising grounds. Further, Singapore is increasingly being recognised as a regional maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hub with several full-service repair facilities for yachts and helicopters and speedy customs turnaround. Investing in developing these facilities further would bring increased commercial potential to attract global industry leaders, enabling Singapore to become an international repair and refit base.

Visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to dining, shopping, entertainment, wellness and cultural experiences in Singapore. Additionally, stringent regulations, low taxes and high standards of transparency and governance have made Singapore a global wealth centre, creating a stable and conducive environment for existing and new yacht owners. To put it briefly, the city has everything required for not only managing a yacht but for managing a business; in fact, the Singapore Registry of Ships is ranked the fifth largest in the world* and several specialist agencies have been established to assist foreign investors who want to register their yachts here.

Meanwhile, the yachting industry in the region and beyond continues to explore new business territories. Technology is a major disruptor to the yachting community, with advancements being made in cleaner propulsion, lower energy consumption, security measures, connectivity and many other areas. Telecom operators such as MTN and OmniAccess have greatly expanded coverage, easing connectivity woes when sailing regionally. A Singaporean security firm, Oneberry Technologies, has automated physical security to conduct remote monitoring and surveillance through a virtual guard system. Groundbreaking video analytics can reliably detect approaching, loitering, or zone crossing objects even on water – a world first in water-based analytics made possible by cutting edge AI neural networks. Given Singapore’s startup-friendly ecosystem^, the possibilities to nurture mounting interest in yachting and open the market to other innovations are increasing exponentially.

The Mediterranean and Caribbean seas will always be the major summer and winter yachting destinations – perhaps for reasons of habit and convenience, but also because of the highly developed yachting culture and infrastructure they offer, with some of the most glamorous cruising experiences imaginable. Nevertheless, the sustained exposure and patronage of the equally beautiful but as yet undeveloped destinations in SEA will serve to bolster interest and investment in yachting from mature markets. And above all, it will eventually create a huge new consumer market for the benefit of the industry worldwide.

*https://www.mpa.gov.sg/web/portal/home/singapore-registry-of-ships/register-with-srs/types-of-registration/registration-of-pleasure-craft

^https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/industries/hub/startup/join-singapores-startup-hub

For the last ten years, SYS has been encouraging everyone in the boating industry to visit South East Asia, and Singapore in particular – it’s an incredibly dynamic business hub and an unmissable tourism hotspot with so much potential to offer our industry. The articles below provide some valuable insights into the future of tourism in the region and wealth projections and the fantastic opportunity that awaits you here.